State to start preparedness campaign for nuclear attack

The state is rolling out a preparedness plan in the unlikely event that North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile at the Aloha State.

The public education campaign will emphasize steps to be taken on short notice, according to state officials, because a North Korean ICBM would arrive in just 20 minutes, leaving just 12 to 15 minutes to warn the populace.

“We do not want to cause any undue stress for the public; however, we have a responsibility to plan for all hazards. We don’t know the exact capabilities or intentions of the North Korean government, but there is clear evidence that it is trying to develop ballistic missiles that could conceivably one day reach our state. Therefore, we cannot wait to begin our public information campaign to ensure that Hawaii residents will know what to do if such an event occurs,” Vern Miyagi, state Emergency Management Agency administrator, said in a release.

The plan doesn’t mean a return to “duck and cover” from the 1950s, but it will include school students drilling for evacuation, similar to “active shooter” scenarios now, officials said.

Public service announcements that advise “get inside, stay inside, and stay tuned” will be aired, according to the state.

The tourism industry is not at all happy with the arrival of the campaign, which it fears could spook tourists.

“Everyone’s safety in Hawaii is always our top priority. We support the efforts of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to prepare for any threat to Hawaii’s well-being, be it man-made or a natural disaster,” Charlene Chan, director of communications for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said in a statement.

“However, we also know from speaking to our tourism industry partners that if reports are misinterpreted about the state’s need to prepare for an attack, this could lead to travelers and groups staying away from Hawaii,” she said. “The effect of such a downturn would ultimately be felt by residents who rely on tourism’s success for their livelihood.”

Chan added that the threat of a North Korean missile attack on Hawaii “is a very remote possibility at this time.”

State Rep. Matthew S. LoPresti, vice chairman of the House committee on public safety, said he supports the planning effort, which shows that the state is serious about protecting its civilians — even in such an unlikely event as a North Korean strike.

LoPresti said it is the responsibility of state government to be prepared, and Hawaii Emergency Management “is following through on their promises during this legislative session to update emergency plans and educate the public.”

“This news should not alarm anyone and rather should give comfort to residents and visitors alike that the state is looking out for their well-being,” LoPresti said in a release.

State officials say they want to get out ahead of North Korea’s goose-stepping march toward greater nuclear capability — even if it would be suicide for leader Kim Jong Un to launch missiles at the United States.

Miyagi and Emergency Management Executive Officer Toby Clairmont are expected to unveil more details of the preparedness plan today.

North Korea’s first and only successful flight test July 3 of an ICBM has some experts asserting that Hawaii now is in range of the missile known as the Hwasong-14.

Missile expert John Schilling wrote on the website 38North.org on July 10 that “the dust seems to be clearing and the emerging reality is that the North has an unreliable missile that can reach Alaska or Hawaii with a single nuclear warhead, and would be lucky to hit even a city-sized target.”

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, ICBMs came off Hawaii Emergency Management’s threat list of mostly natural hazards in the late 1990s. Terrorism was added.

With North Korea emerging as a new threat, Miyagi told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in April that it was time to update previous plans.

“If you were to ask me what is the status of North Korea, and is (a missile attack) a high probability, no, it’s a low probability,” Miyagi, a retired Army two-star general who served at U.S. Pacific Command as a senior adviser, said at the time. “But then, so, we have to keep a lookout for that (threat). That’s why we’re talking about updating the plan. It’s an awakening,” he added.

Miyagi at the time said North Korea could be developing a 10-kiloton warhead capability. For comparison, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was 15 kilotons.

Hawaii Emergency Management is an all-hazards agency, “so the point is, whether it’s nuclear events, whether it’s hurricane or tsunami, the same thing that we need to get out to the folks is that they need to have a plan,” he said.

That includes coordinating with family members on meeting spots and communication when and if usual methods are disrupted.

“Know where to go, know what to do, and know when to do it,” Miyagi said.

The Defense Department, meanwhile, is working on increased defensive capability for Hawaii, with planning underway for a medium-range radar in the state that could cost $1 billion to better track North Korean missiles.

The radar, expected to be in operation by 2023, would be linked to ground-based interceptor missiles in Alaska and California.

Consideration also may be given to activating the Aegis Ashore missile defense test site on Kauai for the protection of Hawaii, or placing a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile defense battery in Hawaii.

Adm. Harry Harris, head of U.S. Pacific Command, said last week that while experts have assessed that North Korea’s tested ICBM can reach Hawaii, “that’s just the missile, and so, you have to mate a nuclear warhead to that missile. I know that Kim Jong Un has stated his intent to do that, and at some point he probably will.”

Harris said he believes Hawaii needs to have a “phased approach” for its defense.

“We have to have a defense-of-Hawaii radar first, and that’s in the plan. That’s being funded, and I think it’s a great thing,” he said. “And I’ve called for a study to determine what the follow-on should be to go with that radar (and) whether it should be an Aegis Ashore or THAAD” or some other defense.